Walking Resources

Books

History & CultureWanderlust: A History of Walking, Rebecca SolnitA Philosophy of Walking, Frédéric GrosPilgrimage: A Very Short Introduction, Ian ReaderBorn to Walk: The Transformative Power of a Pedestrian Act, Dan RubinsteinThe Last Great Walk: The True Story of a 1909 Walk from New York to San Francisco, and Why It Matters Today, Wayne CurtisThe Lost Art of Walking: The History, Science, Philosophy, and Literature of Pedestrianism, Geoff NicholsonThe Walk: Notes on a Romantic Image, Jeffrey G. RobinsonOn Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes, Alexandra Horowitz

Memoir & TravelThe Pilgrimage, Paulo CoelhoCaged Eyes: An Air Force Cadet’s Story of Rape and Resilience, Lynn K. HallWild, Cheryl StrayedFlâneuse: Women Walk the City, Lauren ElkinPlanetwalker: 17 Years of Silence, 22 Years of Walking, John Francis, Ph.D.Of Walking In Ice, Werner HerzogOn Walking, Henry David ThoreauPeace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words, Peace PilgrimThe Snow Leopard, Peter MatthiessenTo a Mountain in Tibet, Colin Thubron

Urban PlanningWalkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time, Jeff SpeckStreetfight: Handbook for an Urban Revolution, Janette Sadik-Khan and Seth SolomonowTraffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us), Tom VanderbiltThe Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jane JacobsFighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in America, Peter NortonStraphanger: Saving Our Cities and Ourselves from the Automobile, Taras Grescoe

Other DelightsThe Walker’s Guide to Outdoor Clues & Signs, Tristan GooleyThe Old Ways: A Journey on Foot, Robert MacfarlaneOn Trails: An Exploration, Robert Moor

Nottingham, UK: Get Fit Nottingham is an urban walking group leads regular city and countryside walks. Children and dogs welcome.

Nationwide (America): America Walks is a national walking advocacy organization that works at local and state levels to promote walking and walkability. Wonderful resource for information, collaboration, and research to move our walking lives forward. Check out their Advocacy Resources page in particular if you’re interested in helping your own community move toward walkability.

International: Planetwalk is an educational nonprofit founded on the lessons learned by John Francis, who spent 22 years walking, 17 of them silent. From their mission statement: “Planetwalk is modeled on Dr. John Francis’s worldwide pilgrimage that works to transcend cultural, social and political boundaries by fostering communication between young people, scientists and environmental practitioners.” Particularly good resource for teachers and schools.